Oh, Snaps! Encouraging Your Budding Shutterbug

                There was a time when photography was considered a “rich person’s hobby” – and it wasn’t that long ago! These days, photography has exploded into an extremely popular art form that’s enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels.

Best of all, there are plenty of ways to enjoy taking pictures without spending any extra money! Let’s talk about some of the great reasons why encouraging your child to take pictures is a great idea…

Photographers are never bored.

Ever meet someone who always has a camera with them, or seems to always be snapping away with their smart phone? Shutterbugs love taking pictures, and their passion isn’t constrained to special events, parties, and other places where everyone has a camera in hand. Photographers develop an eye for finding beautiful and interesting things all around them…and that’s a great mindset to reinforce!

Put your smartphone to use.

Lots of parents pass their smartphone off to their kids as a way for them to stay busy or entertained when waiting in line or sitting in a car. But a smart phone doesn’t have to be a game machine – most of them also feature excellent cameras. Instead of loading up a game, try turning on the camera. You can allow your child to be independently creative, or give them “assignments” to challenge them (such as “take a picture of something really close up” or “take a picture of something red.”)

Cameras are getting pretty inexpensive.

One of the reasons why photography is gaining popularity is that the equipment is extremely cheap compared to prices a few decades ago. Your child can start out using a phone or an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera, but when they decide they really want to pursue the art, the upgrade doesn’t have to break the bank. You can buy a professional-quality camera for less than most of the new game consoles that come on the market (and a camera has the opposite effect of a PlayStation – photographers are notoriously anxious to get outside and shoot pictures!)

Budget photography isn’t just for kids.

Of course, photography is something that adults and kids can enjoy together. There’s even a great way to explore the idea on a budget! The movement is called “lomography,” and it focuses on using very inexpensive cameras to capture great shots (the flagship camera of lomography, the Holga 120N, can be had for less than USD $30.)  This is a great way to pursue photography, because you learn to rely on skill rather than technology to produce a great photo.

There’s plenty to learn.

As kids become older and more advanced, the hobby grows with them. They’ll eventually learn how to use photo processing and editing software (skills that are very useful in the modern workforce) and they’ll be developing their eye for things like composition and color balance from the very first day. The skills learned in photography are very useful in all of the visual arts, so even if your child ends up wanting to paint with watercolors, they’ll be able to put all of that knowledge to good use.

Of course, photography isn’t for everyone, but it’s pretty simple to introduce the idea to your child. You can begin by sitting down with them and looking at a book or Pinterest board of photographs. Use the opportunity to ask them what they like about the picture, and then find out together what sort of skills were used to create it.